Alpina is heading back to the race track with a V8-powered race car based on its B6S coupe, which is itself based on a BMW 6 Series Coupé. The B6S racer will compete in the FIA GT3 European Championship of endurance racing.

A 4.4-litre V8 engine with 530bhp powers the GT3 machine, which is built at Alpina's brand new £10 million engineering facility. Alpina boss Andreas Bovensiepen said: "We think the BMW 6 Series provides the ideal basis to challenge pure-bred sports cars such as Ferrari, Lamborghini and Aston Martin within the framework of GT3 regulations. The massive torque of the supercharged V8 engine is well suited to this kind of racing."

The GT3 racing project is part of Alpina's plans to expand its brand in the near future, but that hasn't stopped the German firm from indulging in some retro touches with the GT3. It has chosen a replica colour scheme from the company's 1970's CSL racer, which competed in the Gosser Bier colours of green and silver.

Alpina expects to be on the grid this summer, with a full season planned for 2009.